First African woman to serve on international boxing committee is from Dundee

Local woman Pretty Tsotetsi, a Sibongile Boxing Club (SBF) member and no stranger to the local boxing scene, was recently chosen to serve on the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) Competitions Committee.
The only African woman and the first person from the continent to serve on this committee, Pretty is one of two women on the committee.
“My appointment didn’t come as a surprise, as I have experienced all the major success of our local boxers who have competed in international rings and returned with awards,” said Pretty. She added that when the position was first listed, she didn’t jump at the chance to apply for it… But when the IBA re-opened it and said they still wanted women to serve on the committee, she submitted an application. “Though my main goal has always been to support boxers at grass-roots level, I was pleased to have been given this position,” said Pretty.
The primary responsibility of a member of a competitions committee is to plan competitions on a continental and worldwide scale. “The Commonwealth Games and Olympics are two of the prominent events that the committee is in charge of organising,” she explained.
IBA president Umar Kremlev stated in a letter confirming Pretty’s appointment, “I am extremely confident that with your subject knowledge and experience, you will make a significant contribution to the success of this important technical committee.”
Pretty first entered the boxing world in 2004 as a member of the local SBF’s administration team. Since then, she has climbed the boxing ladder all the way to the position of secretary-general for the South African National Boxing Organisation.
“I had no prior experience with boxing and participated in this sport because I wanted to challenge gender stereotypes,” explained Pretty. She added that boxing has traditionally been viewed as a male sport and she wanted to shatter that masculine image.
In addition, she said that via her relentless efforts on behalf of the SBF, she has witnessed two world champions for the SBF and has accomplished much in the world of sports.
“I love boxing and it has taken over my life. Training with the 32 boxers who make up the SBF has shaped who I am. I adore our fighters and through boxing, they have all become my children,” concluded Pretty.
She will have a four-year term on the committee, with the option of staying in the role or quitting.